Radon Test Kits Half Price During National Radon Action Month

Release Date: 1/4/2012

Contact: Tony Drautz, Administrator Environmental Health Services

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​Oakland County, Michigan -- Oakland County Health Division is offering radon test kits for only $5 each throughout January of 2012 - Radon Action Month - at its Pontiac and Southfield offices. The cost of the test kit has been lowered to encourage home testing for this potentially harmful gas.

Radon - a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that is usually harmless outdoors - is the second leading cause of lung cancer among people nationwide. In Michigan alone, 600 new cases of lung cancer are estimated to be caused by radon each year, according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

"You can't see or smell radon and people tend to ignore the possibility that it might exist at high levels in their homes," said Tony Drautz, administrator of Oakland County Health Division's Environmental Health Services. "The best time to test your home for radon is during the cooler months when the windows and doors are closed. The test is quick, easy, and affordable."

Exposure to elevated radon levels does not cause any physical signs or symptoms. The only way to know your home is affected is to test it. The Environmental Protection Agency has identified a moderate potential for elevated radon levels in Oakland County homes.

"For just a few dollars, you can test your home for radon," said Drautz. "When radon is trapped under a building it can work its way in through cracks and crevices and accumulate to levels that can be harmful to human health."

Radon test kits are available at both Oakland County Health Division offices.